Innovation in kites has been going on for hundreds of years. The present invention pertains to combining three unique features in one kite. The first feature is an improved construct for inducing a dihedral and a double parabolic camber in a diamond shaped kite. The closest prior art is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,977, which is a Wing Structure With Self Induced Camber requiring three structural members, two lateral brace members along the two leading edges of the kite and a spine down the center. The present invention requires only two structural members, a spine down the center and one wing spar, thus providing an improved weight to wing span ratio. Further, the prior art example requires that spars be attached along the leading edge. This construction precludes advantages such as being able to use the leading edges of the flight skin to form an adjustable keel fold. Other dihedral kites are well known, but the present invention uses the geometry of the two structural members and the flight skin to achieve both a dihedral and a double parabolic camber thus avoiding elements such as a bow string which tends to complicate and limit such possibilities as attaching rotors to the leeward side of the kite. This new self induced double parabolic kite combines the lift and stability advantages of a delta type kite with the structural efficiency and weight efficiency advantages of the two stick diamond kite.
The second unique feature is the adjustable keel. Adjustable keel are known in prior art. The best examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,272,044 and 3,347,500. Prior art, pertaining to adjustable keels, falls into two categories: (1) kites that require additional primary elements such as flexible sheets and structural members and (2) kites with keels that have a plurality of holes providing alternative tethering positions. The present invention is an improved, simpler and more elegant solution to the adjustable keel problem requiring a single fastener such as a thumb screw and utilizing the flight cloth and the geometry of the kite itself. Fixed keels made by sewing folds into the flight skin of the kite are well known in prior art. Examples of this are U.S. Pat. No. 1,105,058 by W. A. Bochau, U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,316 by S. C. Simons and U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,850 Helen Bushell. However, none of these keels have the physical feature of being readily adjustable. With these prior art keels, one might adjust the wing span, the keel depth and flight characteristics of the kite, but this would require ripping out the stiching and sewing another keel seam. This new seam could make the keel depth greater and the wing span shorter, or visa versa. But obviously, these prior art keels were not designed to be adjustable in the field, or otherwise. This invention makes it possible to quickly and easily adjust the keel depth, the degree of dihedral and the flight characteristics of the kite. This invention virtually assures the pilot of success regardless of experience level, or wind conditions. This is a significant improvement over prior art.
The third unique feature of the kite is the use of light weight wind responsive sail turbines attached to opposing wing tips to stabilize and control the kites aerodynamic performance, and to provide an aerial display. Single rotor kites and multi rotor kites are in the prior art, the closest examples of which are U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,025 a multi rotor kite and U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,642 a single rotor kite. The present invention differs from and is a substantial improvement over prior art multi rotor kites, differing from the prior art in both rotor orientation and construction. Unlike prior helicopter type rotors, the present invention uses light weight sail turbines rotating normal to the direction of the wind to provide an aerial display for ground observation, to amplify the dihedral in the host kite at the precise instance when it is mosted needed, and to provide a means for control and stabilization of the entire flight system.